What tricks do you perform for troublesome audiences--that is, guys who may have studied a little magic and know some secrets?

I approached a table of five last week at my restaurant gig, and the 19-year-old at the table was whispering during my silk vanishing routine. I do it well, so I knew he must have known about the thumbtip.

So I tried to figure out a trick that was bulletproof--that is, one that used perhaps an offbeat method or cancelled out their idea of how it was done.

I realize that certain categories of tricks are vulnerable to detection, including:

*Invisible thread: Because certain magic shops are selling those tricks.*D'Lite: Same reason.*Ambitious card: Some people know what a double is. *Perfect Pen: I recently learned that a magic kiosk in my area is selling a cheap version of this trick, so I'm laying off it a bit.

Personally, some of my most bulletproof tricks include:

*The Pothole Trick: Because it's such an offbeat effect, and there are no real gimmicks involved that magic shops could sell.*Torn & Restored Transposition: Because of the classic force, and because it's so complicated that beginners couldn't possibly begin to learn it.*Dream Card: Because it's difficult and hasn't been packaged as a tourist trick.*Mr. Clean Coins Across (a trick that this forum turned me onto)

One of my favorite tricks fits precisely into this category. That's why it's one of my favorites. ;)

Wesley James' "Forgery" -- I don't care how many versions of the Physical Merger plot you've seen (Anniversary Waltz, NY Transpo, etc.), the original will mess with your head. The handling is incredibly innocent and deceptive. It's practically impossible to reconstruct if you're not familiar with it.

The pothole trick is GREAT for stumping people. It really depends how you do stuff. I have done salt vanish or cig vanish with a thumb tip for people who know the vanishing scarf. Fooled em' badly. A trick out of some Sankey notes where you restore a ripped up sugar packet, combined with a bit of subtle handling, is a killer. People only think latterally usually. One prop does one trick. Usually they don't realize (or can spell) what a utility prop is.

Ahem..I have gotten of course. Certain simple card tricks are effective. If I ever have that one person who is like, "Blah blah yah I seen that." I simply say, "Well I guess I hafta do the good stuff now." and do some of the things that require more fun that skill. Humor and fun is a great misdirection aye?

Good question! One of my favorites is a ring and string routine because I do several phases and each one cancels out the method of the last one. Just when someone thinks you're not really putting the ring on, you very fairly thread it on and then proceed to visually pull it off and throw it back on. Never fails to bug peoples' eyes out. :D Also, I haven't come across any beginners who haven't been blown away by Ultimate Three Fly (after they've had a chance to actually hold the coins). I know that I was after I saw Eric Mead perform it downstairs at the W.C. Fields bar late one night at the Castle (this was when there were very few sets in circulation). I kept looking for how he was going to handle the shell at the end of the routine, but there was no shell. Wow! :eek:

In a restuarant or bar. Find a machine which changes dollar bills. Jukebox, cigarette,etc.

Here in simple form. Turn over double, face up. Note card. Turn double face down. Insert top card into deck,losing it. Turn over double, show odd card. Turn double face down. Take top card and insert face down into dollar change slot of machine. Card will be sucked all the way in and then popped out. Turn face up to show card has been changed by machine.

Thanks for the feedback! This underlined the idea that routines that progressively cancel out people's theories are quite useful in these under-attack situations. Thus, MJ Marrs' comment about Ring and String.

But Jim Maloney: I use the Anniversary Waltz all the time, I must admit. But on some rare occasions, an engineer in the audience takes one look at the card and says: "You started off with this card with two faces." (They don't know the term double facer.) And that's after a flawoless performance; it's just deduction. Don't you find that?

That doesn't preclude me from doing this trick. In fact, I'll be doing it a lot this weekend at my restaurant gig in a romantic location, where couples just love Anniversary Waltz. But it's not completely bulletproof, methinks.

Larry Horowitz: Great suggestion about the change machine!

I'll be performing your "Stars" trick this weekend, too. July 4! And I've never come close to being caught with this trick, I think because the surprise at the end (the American flag) thematically overshadows everything else, including method. Very nice.

Originally posted by David Groves:But Jim Maloney: I use the Anniversary Waltz all the time, I must admit. But on some rare occasions, an engineer in the audience takes one look at the card and says: "You started off with this card with two faces." (They don't know the term double facer.) And that's after a flawoless performance; it's just deduction. Don't you find that?

Anniversary Waltz may not be, but I feel that Forgery is. I just graduated form an engineering school, so you can imagine what type of people most of my audiences (ie, my friends) are. They clearly see the two cards at the same time, in two different places. Even if they did suspect that you just have one card that's been signed on both sides, it's that moment where you cleanly show the card you've signed and the card they've signed in different places -- one on top and one on the bottom.

I also know that this has fried several magician's I've performed it for, BECAUSE they have the expectation that the same card is being signed twice. All I can say is -- if you haven't seen the original, you're missing out.

I have worked out a very simple handling using a thick db card... but not tried it in real show situation, just on wife, who was baffled. (Anniversary Waltz). Doc Eason sent me an added bit, but I lost it so I had to re-invent the handling and came up with a much easier way (OK it uses 2 Hindu Shuffle forces, but so???) :D

I realize that certain categories of tricks are vulnerable to detection, including:*Invisible thread: Because certain magic shops are selling those tricks.*D'Lite: Same reason.*Ambitious card: Some people know what a double is. *Perfect Pen: I recently learned that a magic kiosk in my area is selling a cheap version of this trick, so I'm laying off it a bit.

Anything floating falls into the too impossible theory. Someone who is observant will figure it out.

You must try the Doug Edwards version of the Perfect Pen. It is better than the John Corneilus version becuse it uses a Bic pen.

I never had a problem with the ambitious card but try to come up with a version that requires no doubles.

I'd like to address another aspect of this topic: For whom are bulletproof tricks necessary?

1. People who are too logical. This includes many engineers and other math/science people, but also many non-math/science people who simply take themselves too seriously.

2. People who must win. They watch and, if they see the least little thing (not even a method, just a suspicion), they say, "I know how you did that!" Or, "I got that one. Do another one." Or sometimes, they don't even see a thing, but still say, "That was an easy one." And the other people feel stupid.

3. People who know a little bit of magic. As previously mentioned.

I had a group like that tonight at my restaurant gig, a table full of kids who were cutthroat not just with me, but with each other. Their parents were obviously like that, too, and were looking on from the next table.

I did the bare minimum of three tricks for them, and then begged off, even though they begged me to stay. I knew they were trouble. Didn't get caught, even though one kid said, "I got one of them."

When I did the next table, the kid wandered over and stood watching, making that table uncomfortable. So I performed Torn and Restored Transpo, and the kid was almost in pain:

"Man, I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight!"

Later, at another table, an intelligent woman was astounded that she had no idea how the trick was done.

"I just can't believe that I can't figure it out," she said.

"If you could figure it out, I would be a bad magician," was my standard reply. That one tends to shut people up when they're edging up to asking how the trick was done.

Killer tricks are fine, but you need those bulletproof tricks to be a truly successful magician.

Steven, I got your notes way back at the IBM in 1994. I still haven't called you collect like you asked! It's a great routine and one I have used over the years. I negate just about every known method of card cheating they may come up with which leaves people with nothing to go on. It's a gem.

Originally posted by Jon Allen: Steven, I got your notes way back at the IBM in 1994. I still haven't called you collect like you asked! It's a great routine and one I have used over the years. I negate just about every known method of card cheating they may come up with which leaves people with nothing to go on. It's a gem.

Thank you for your kind and generous comments!I'm glad to see you're making use of the material.Do you use the peek I describe inthe notes? I'd be interested in your opinionon that peek...

I'm surprised I haven't seen one trick mentioned. For the last several years I have been performing variations of effects with the Aronson. I loved the reactions. Then, just for fun, I went 'back to basics' the other week with an Invisible Deck. I hate to admit it, but that one trick leaves EVERYONE fried when they see it.

Jim Maloney: I've got a background in Aerospace Engineering and some of my friends are probably just as left brained as yours. They tell me "that one you do with the writing on the side of the cards" (Unshuffled) is their favorite.